Ham and Beans

Winter has not yet started here. And it's a good month and a half late! Last year it snowed on October 10th. This year, not a flake. Maybe soon though, as it is getting colder and colder now. There is a slight chance on Wednesday....of course, when we have to drive 3 hours for Thanksgiving. Hopefully it won't be to bad, but it is due to snow soon. The munchkins have been asking every day when it is going to snow. Even V, who couldn't walk in the snow last year because it was so deep! Anyway, enough rambling! Since it is getting colder out, I have been making a lot of soups. I love fall and winter because I love soups! Tonight we had ham and beans. This soup is an all day ordeal but is oh so yummy! This is usually good to make after you've had a ham because you can use the leftovers from your ham. But we had a hog butchered a while back and instead of giving us a whole ham, they gave us ham slices. Which I was extremely annoyed with at first because what do you do with ham slices. But turns out being a good thing because I can just use a few of them to make ham and beans instead of having to make a whole ham.

Ham and beans:

1 lb. dry Great Northern beans

cooked ham, however much you like

1 small onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

1 T. dried parsley

1/2 C. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Rinse beans in a large pot, discard shriveled beans and any small stones. Add 8 cups cold water. Let stand overnight or at least 8 hours. Cook your ham or use leftovers.

Drain and rinse beans. Return beans to pot and add ham, onion, brown sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne (I didn't have any cayenne and it was still good), parsley and water to cover. I used the broth from cooking my sliced ham, also. Then added enough water to cover. Stir. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2-2 hours until beans are tender. Add more water if needed during cooking time.

Add a bowl of cornbread muffins (this bowl was full before we ate!). I spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray and put the batter right in the tin instead of using muffin cups and they turn a nice golden brown. Slather with butter and enjoy! Yummy!

Keeping Things Yummy!

Jess